Scores of the Congress workers today marched towards the state Legislative Assembly building to lay siege to it in protest against the "misrule" of the state BJP government, but were stopped by the police.
Hundreds of the party workers from various parts of the state assembled in the city and were led by the veterans like Kamal Nath, Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Amidst a heavy drama, Nath and Scindia, both former Union ministers, perched themselves on a bus roof when they were stopped mid way to the Assembly.
While the Congress claimed that Scindia and Nath were arrested forcibly and put in a van, the police said the duo courted arrest.
"The Congress leaders have courted arrest," said the Additional Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Singh Chandel.
Due to the protest, traffic in the state capital was disrupted in many areas as the Congress workers walked towards Nehru Nagar police line, tailing a van carrying Nath, Scindia and Suresh Pachouri on its top.
Besides Nath and Scindia, senior leaders like Digvijay, Pachouri, AICC general secretary and party's state affairs in-charge Mohan Prakash, state Congress president Arun Yadav addressed the party workers while attacking the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government on a string of issues.
Digvijay alleged Chouhan and his family members were involved in Vyapam scam (a multi-crore admission and recruitment racket) and in the illegal sand mining.
"I openly challenge Chouhan to file a defamation suit against me if what I have said publicly is false," he said.
Scindia alleged four out of eleven people arrested recently in connection with the ISI spying racket in MP were associated with the BJP. "These people were seen with Chouhan and other BJP leaders in pictures," he claimed.
The Guna MP further said, "the BJP government didn't even spare Kumbh mela which is the major festival of Hindus and siphoned off Rs 1500 crore while organising it last year."
Nath said the "spontaneous" gathering of thousands of protesters here to gherao the Assembly building shows that "days of Chouhan's rule in which he has ruined MP as CM, are numbered."
Other speakers also launched a diatribe against Chouhan, saying his government is the failure on all fronts and that law and order is in dire straits across the state.
Stating that illegal mining is prevalent in the state, they said sand mining is rampant in Narmada river which is the ifeline of the state.
Congress will win the state Assembly elections, due next year, as the common people are fed up with the "BJP misrule", they said.
Traffic virtually came to a standstill when Scindia and Nath were being taken to Nehru Nagar police line from a tin shed.
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